Tracing device



lNvENToRv ATTORNEY 4,

June 2, 1935 J. L.. ANDERSON TRACING DEVICE Filed July 3l, 1954 PatentedJune 2, 1936 Y Y UNiTED STATES PATENT ori-*ica*` TRACIN G DEVICE JamesL. Anderson,4 Cluster, N. J., assgnor to w Air Reduction Company,Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application my31, 1934, serial No. '137,105

9 claims. (ci. scf-25)V This invention relates to tracing devices forinvention will become apparent to those skilled guiding the course of aninstrumentality which in the art aS the Speoica'on Proceedsis supportedfor universal movement in a plane. In the accompanying drawing, forminga part The invention relates more particularly to that hereof: i i typeof tracing device whichiurnishes the driv- F18. 1 iS a fIOn View/partlyin Section. 01,9' 5

ing power for kmoving the instrumentality along tracing device embodyingthe invention; the desired path. Figs. 2 and 3 are elevationsofdifferent size Tracing devices of this character are common..spindles'for connection with the spindle shaft of ly employed for movingcutting torches in acthe tracing device shown in Fig. 1; E eordenoe withthe outline of a tempiate or draw- Fig. 4 is a sectional view of thelower end of thc 1o ing. A roller rotating in the plane of movementtracing deViCe ShOWn in Flgul', the Section being of the torch andcontacting with the edge fece taken at right angles to that of Fia 1: ofthe template is used in tracing devices designed Fig- 5 iS a ViewSimilar t0 Fig- 4, but Showing for ,following a template. *Tracingdevices for the tracing device equipped with a traction wheel followingan outline of a drawing, or similar pat- 01' Operation Over a' drawing;and 15 tern, however, have a traction wheel which ro- Figf iS ahorizontal Sectional view along the tetes aboutan axis parallel to theplane of moveline 6-6of Fig. 1. i ment of the torch. li'he tractionwheel often Referring to Fle- 1, the tracing device includes runs on thedrawing and alongv the outline to be a clamp fitting or` bracket H whichfits a bci'` l2 chine which follows a path similar to that of theoperated by o tracer. or vtemplateiollowcr-l A torch wheel is movedalong the outline to be tubular bearing 4 iS integrali/1th the bmke? H-foiiowed. 1t is necessary that the traction wheel A Sleeve I6 is.slidable vertically` on the tubube steerable and that'it have drivingmechanism lar bearing I4. A rack l1, attached to the sleeve which is notaffected 'by turning the'whee] to by screws IAB, `nts into a slot Ll!!inthe tubular 25v travel in a diirerent direction. bearing an f Servesas a kcv for preventing rotary Because of these diierenees between the Mmovement of the sleeve in the tubular bearing. ing devices which followa template and those The sleeve I6, and all of the mechanism conforoperation with a, drawing, cutting machines nected with it, can beraised or lowered by a equipped with template followers only have nothand-Wheel 2l, which yopclfoics 2 ylJiIlOIl 22 in 3c been capable ofoperating froma drawlngand, mesh With the Tack n. The hand-Wheel 2| hassimilarly, those machines with drawing tracers teeth 23 on its hubportion adapted to mesh with only have notv been suitable for use with atemcmplementary teeth 0n aiboss 0f the 'tubular plate. i bearing Il.With these teeth engaged, as shown improved tracing device which willoperate from amsm are held in eleve/ted POStiOn. The handeither atemplate or a drawing. According to one y y Wheel has a limited axialmovement' so that the feature of this invention, a template follower'teeth on its hub portion can be disengaged from thestationary teeth onthe tubular bearing to roller, or a tracer wheel for running Vori adraw- 4o ing, can be attached to the lower end of a tracpermit thesleeve and its connected mehanism '40 ing device quickly andconveniently.

` to be lowered into position to operate along av templateorother'pattern. f @other 0h16 0f the Venti@ .is t0 Provide XA platform 25at the `upper end of the sleeve an Improved tracing device 0f, theSpindle type I6, supports an electric motor 26 and 'reduction f andconvenient in use. The invention has a rollerA 'coupling 23, n

at the lower end of a spindle which is connected The lower end ofthesleeve I6 is of 'reduced to a motor-driven drive shaft by a novel con-Adiameter and fits` into a tracer holderll. The struction whichispparticularly simple. The opupper end of this tracer holder abutsagainst a erator. holds the tracing device `and presses the vshoulder 32of the sleeve I6.V 50 roller against the template with sufficient forceto A vertical drive shaft 33 extends through the provide the necessaryfriction to cause the roller .sleeve I6,` and has its axis coincidentwith the to travelalong the edge of the template v'without axis of thesleeve. Thereis a worm 34 on the slipping. lower end of the drive shaft33, and a collar 35 other objects, features and advantages of the ashort Vdistance abovev the worm. The shaf-t 33 55,

followed, but sometimes another part 0f the maof a torch cutting machineor other device to be 20 3 It is an Object of this invention to providean inl Fig. 1, the sleeve I6 and the connected meeh- 35 which iseconomical to manufacture and eillcient gearing11 through which the mtordrives a 45 rotates in ball bearings 36 and 31 near its upper and lowerends, respectively.

The ball bearing 36 nts within a recess in the upper portion of thesleeve I6. The outer race of this ball bearing rests on a shoulder` 36which forms the bottom of the recess.

The ball bearing 31 fits within the tracer holder 30, and the outer raceof this ball bearing abuts against a shoulder 40 on the upper side ofthe bearing. 'Ihe collar 35 of the drive shaft abuts against the innerrace of the ball bearing 31 and holds the tracer holder in assembledrelation with the sleeve i6. The tracer holder bears at its upper endagainst the shoulder 32 on the sleeve, and has a free swivel or turningmovement on the sleeve as a bearing.

A recessed nut 42 threads on the upper end of the drive shaft 33 andbears against the top sideof the inner race of the ball bearing 36.

End piay in the drive shaft 33 is taken up, andl the bearing pressure ofthe tracer holder against the shoulder 32 is adjusted by turning the nut42 on the shaft. A lock nut 44 holds the nut 42 in any set position, andthe lock nut forms a part of the coupling between the drive shaft 33 andthe reduction gearing 21. e

The lower end of the tracer holder 30 is formed with two side members46. A bearing block 41 fits between these side members and has a bushing46 in line with the drive shaft 33. Screws 49 extend through` the sidemembers 46 and thread into the bearing block 41. Each of the screws 49has an unthreaded portion which is free to turn in the side member 46 asa bearing so that the bushing 46 can align itself with the drive shaft.'Ihe threaded end of each of the screws 46 is of reduced diameter, andthe shoulder at the end of the threads clamps a washer 50 against thebearing block 41. The screws can, therefore, be tight without clampingtheir heads against the side members 46. Such clamping would interferewith the self-aligning action of the bearing block and bushing.-

A spindle 52 turns in the bushing 46 as a bearing. The spindle has anenlarged upper end with a threaded recess which screws over the worm 34as a nut. A screw 54 threads into the spindle at the bottom of therecess. The head of this screw serves as an abutment against which theworm strikes so that the worm and spindle can be tightly screwedtogether before the threads on the worm come to the end of the spindlethreads which do not extend completely to the bottom of the recess.

I'he lower end of the spindle has a square portion 56 by which thespindle can be conveniently gripped with a wrench in order to screw thespindle tightly to the worm or to,unscrew it from the worm. x

The lower end of the spindle 52 is of reduced diameter and threaded forconnection with a.l roller 56. The roller has a face` 59 for contactwith the edge of la template, and this face Vis ribbed to increase itsfriction with the template. The diameter of the face of the rollerdetermines the speed with which it travels along the template. Theroller 58 can be removed and another roller having a face of largerdiameter substituted. Two rollers 6| 'and 62 having faces of Sh gljeaterradius are shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The operator grips the tracer holder -30 and presses the tracing devicetoward the template so that the pressure of the roller face 59 againstthe edge face of the template is sufficient to provide adequate frictionto prevent the roller from slipping on the template and destroying theuniform speed of the tracer.

'I'he bearing inthe block 41 carries the radial load on the spindle,while the weight of the spindle and any other end thrusts aretransmitted through the worm 34 to the ball bearings 36 and 31 whichtake the thrust loads on the drive shaft 33.

When the tracer is to be operated over a drawing or print, the screws49, spindle 52, and bearing block 41 are removed, a tracer wheel 65(Fig. 5) is placed between the side members 46 andA an axle 66 insertedthrough the openings in the side members from which the screws 49 wereremoved. The axle 65 is held by a set screw 66, and has anti-frictionbearings 10 on which the wheel runs.

When the tracer wheel 65 is to be used, a gear housing 12 is connectedto the tracer holder 30. This gear housing supports an axle 13 for aworm-wheel which meshes with the worm 34, and also supports a gear 14which is connected with the worm-wheel and meshes with a gear 15connected to the tracer wheel 65.

A'I'he embodiment of the invention illustrated provides an efficient andconvenient tracer device for following a template or a drawing, butmodification of the structure can be 1made without departing from theinvention defined in the claims.

I claim:

l. In a tracing device. a vertical drive shaft having a threaded endportion, a bearing located below the end of the shaft in substantialLalignment with said shaft, means supporting the bearing for rockingmovement to give the bearing a self-aligning operation with respect tothe shaft, a spindle extending through the bearing and threaded over thelower end of the shaft, and a template follower roller at the end of thespindle remote from the drive shaft.

2. A tracing device comprising a drive shaft, bearings for radial andthrust loads on the drive shaft, a spindle threaded on the end of thedrive shaft, said spindle having a straight cylindrical portion forextending through a radial-load bearing. and having a flat-sided portionfor receiving a tool to unscrew the spindle from the drive shaft, and aroller at the end of the spindle remote from the drive shaft.

3. A tracer comprising an upper non-swivel portion, a lower swivelportion with downwardly extending side members, a bearing block betweenthe side members, a spindle extending through the bearing block, a driveshaft extending through the upper portion of the tracer, and a drivingconnection between the spindle and the drive shaft.

4. A tracer comprising an upper non-swivel portion. a lower swivelportion with downwardly extending side members, a bearing block betweenthe side members, a spindle extending through the bearing block, a driveshaft extending through the upper portion of the tracer in line with thespindle, a worm on the lower end of the shaft threaded into a recess inthe upper end of the spindle to secure the spindle to the 5. Tracerapparatus comprising an upper nonswivel portion for connection with aframe, a lower portion swivelly connected to the upper p0rtion forsteering a traction wheel in any and aft, and a template follower rollerat the lower end of the shaft.

changing directions over a drawing or print,y

downwardly extending side members on the swivel portion with means forholding a traction-wheel axle, a bearing block adapted to t between theside members in place of the wheel, a vertical drive shaft extendingthrough the upper portion of the tracer, a spindle extending through thebearing block in line with the drive shaft, a worm at the lower end ofthe drive shaft for transmitting power to said traction wheel, andan-enlarged upper end on the spindle with a threaded recess for screwingthe spindle to the worm.

6. The combination of a supporting frame having a motor and a verticaldrive shaft operatively connected with the motor, a tracer wheel andgearing for driving the tracer wheel to move the frame in accordancewith one character of pattern, a spindle tracer rotatable about an axisat right angles to the axis of rotation of the tracer wheel to move theframe in accordance Withfa different character of pattern, and means forinterchangeably connecting either of the tracer devices with the frameand for driving either tracer device from said drive shaft wherebytracer mechanism may be assembled on said frame for mov' ing the framein accordance with patterns of different character.

'7. yTracer apparatus comprising a frame having an upper non-swivelportion and a lower part swivel'ly connected to the upper portion forsteering a traction wheel in any and changing directions over a drawing,a vertical drive shaft extending through the upper portion of thetracer.

a worm at the lower end of the drive shaft, downwardly extending sidemembers on the swivel portion, a traction wheel having an axle, and aspindle tracer having a bearing block, inter- 5 changeably mountablebetween said side members, and means for operatabhr connecting thetraction wheel and spindle tracer with the worm at the. lower end of thedrive shaft.

8. In a tracing device for operating with pat- 10 terns of differentcharacter, a verticaldrive shaft and a worm on the lower portion of theshaft for driving gearing of a tracer wheel when the device is equippedto operate with paper patterns; a spindle with an enlarged upper portionhaving 15 an internally threaded recess adapted to fit the worm as a nutto securely fasten the spindle to the worm,A and a reduced,'internally-threaded portion at the lower end of the spindle vforconnecting the spindle to a template-follower roller 20 of any desireddiameter.

9. A tracing device comprising a drive` shaft, a worm on the drive shaftadaptedk to drive gearing. for a tracer Wheel, and means for guiding thetracing device from a template including a spin- 25 dle with aninternally threaded portion adapted to viit over the threads of the wormso that said worm serves as one member of a coupling and securelyfastens the spindle to the drive shaft, and

a template-follower roller at the lower end of the spindle.

, JAMES L. ANDERSON.

